Little Devil 

This was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. Thanks!

(I bet the bolt would have been chopped if installed...)

Nice one, Luc. :-)

Commiting highball! Well done. Would have been a good problem though, without the spotter.

I worked this a bit over the weekend... pretty tough. I brought a TR along to work the highball crux... I have it pretty wired now, but I'm not sure how it'll go after pulling the dyno... lots of pads and spotters will be nice for sure. Still couldn't work out the dyno though. This is an awesome problem and surely destined to be a hard Front Range classic.

WARNING! The Little Devil is unstable!

Yesterday I was cranking hard on the initial move (I am nearly 200 lbs) and the sucker started to shift. Luckily I rolled out of the way or it would have crushed on my leg! It was now in the middle of the trail, but fortunately with the help of a passing hiker (thanks Mike!) we were able to get it back into more or less the same position.

Using a crash pad is cheating because with 2" more reach you can grab the final hold.

I just have to let the climbing world know of my latest accomplishment.
I just completed the first ascent of Little Devil in full-on winter conditions.

The sloping mantle at the top was really difficult. I had to brush off about four inches of fresh snow. The finishing moves, which I thought the most difficult, took several tries to accomplish.
This one makes me a shoe-in for the Mugs Stump Award.

Props to the visionary first-ascentionist! Quality!

Very commiting. I was attempting the first blindfolded barefoot ascent of LD when I ripped the nail on my pinkie back a few millimeters. I will probably be out of action for a week.

V11 sandbag maybe.

What's the beta for the feet on the dyno to the lip? I tried a left heel-hook on the arete with a right toe on a pretty much non-existent "nubbin"<-(broke maybe?)- but kept taking huge falls. Has anyone had any luck with better feet? I'm 6'2" and it feels like my feet are really high. It seems like this problem would be a little easier for shorter people: maybe more like V12/13 for taller folk?

Although I have yet to complete it, I too felt like it was closer to a V12. I'm probably lacking the correct beta though. Very technical and tenuous moves with a mean dyno to top out. An ultra classic problem!

Nothing more than V9. You fellas from the city are soft.

Where's the wool cap?

Adam - sandbagger! I've been projecting that for months.

This is on my to do list. Someday...

The best part of the photo is definitely the spotter...you need to have a sense of humor to hop on that, let alone spot like the guys life is in danger, hahaha, hilarious.

Sad news. Tics of this classic may be a thing of the past, at least the original V11 route. Reliable reports indicate a visiting French climber, halfway through his first pack of cigarettes and frustrated that he hadn't sent yet *chipped a hold* on the left arete. It's now V10+ max. Sorry to be the messenger.

Shawn,

Thank you for relaying this extremely disturbing news.
I have been training my entire life for a send of this classic V11/12.
When I learned that some visiting frog bastard has brought this magnificent line down to his level by chipping, it practically ruined my life.
My sponsorship, upcoming book and screenplay are all based on my goal of sending, what has been for me, a lifelong dream.
I'll have to cancel several television appearances now. It is likely that Regis and Letterman will never have me back.
I have devoted the last twenty years of my life and sacrificed family, relationships and gainful employment to focus on my one goal in life, to send the classic V11/12 on Little Devil.
Sure, I guess that I could epoxy over the chipped travesty, but now a once beautiful and proud line has lost its aesthetic charm and appeal. I've lost my interest, not to mention, the will to live.

Good send Luc, if you like these type of scary highball problems, check out this classic line, www.mountainproject.com/v/south_dakota/rock_maze/south_centr>>>

With the recent snow earlier this week and now warmer temperatures, a good sized puddle has formed under the great north face of this route.
I am considering a deep water solo attempt tomorrow, but I will want the well deserved glory that I'd be entitled to with such an audacious ascent.
Attention editors of Climbing and Rock & Ice: Send a film crew out to the canyon tomorrow to photograph my greatness and you will be guaranteed to increase the circulation of your publications.
I've already called the major news networks, but since they are not familiar with our sport, I think they failed to realize what an unprecedented, state-of-the-art, bold achievement this will be.

Why is the rating so high? That looks pretty easy.

Looks? Looks easy?!?!?

What if I should spill my PBR on my next attempt? Don't you realize the technical fortitude & danger of this entire route?? Surely, you must appreciate the level of commitment it takes to send this elite grade.

looks easy...

You have to start lying down. Sitting starts reduce the grade considerably.

Need some beta for this. I couldn't find the bivy ledge and I ended up climbing through the night to top out. For my next ascent, it would definitely be helpful to know where the ledge is.

thanks

I believe Hanson & partner to remain unnamed had the distinct pleasure of having the ledge fall away during a stint back in the '60s. You might be able to see the piton scar from the attempted heli rescue in which his partner's harness exploded during a tyrol to the opposed canyon wall. I believe they survived but a teddy bear did take flight; inspiring the opening sequence for the historically accurate movie about mtn rescue, climbers, base jumping, drugs, money, feds, and the women who love them.

Actually you can do a 2 pich traverse to the right (around 2 aretes) that ends at a nice ledge with a ginormous pine tree. This is a great date route variation, as the solitude and privacy in such a remote location can really impress the chicks.

You guys are a bunch of sandbaggers! I sold my crash pad and chalk pot, and gave up bouldering for two years because this thing gave me such a mental makeover. So Hard!

Omg dude....I'm surprised that this hasn't shown up in any climbing DVDs. I'll be sure to contact either Chuck Fryberger or Big UP Productions and we'll get a film segment going on this thing! Although it looks too dangerous to secure a film crew.

Little Devil sees second ascent (unconfirmed).
The biggest story this season is the possible, though as of yet unconfirmed, second ascent of the formidable Little Devil in Castlewood Canyon.
Colorado's greatest testpiece, originally rated V11x, but now several grades harder due to several crucial holds breaking off, has seen an alleged second ascent.
This famous boulder has rebuffed the attempts of many of the country's best climbers.
Sharma, Graham, Kinder and even Fred Nicole have all vowed to never return after, as Nicole put it, "I was so close to being sucked into the bright tunnel to the afterlife that I had to give up climbing for months."
Though unconfirmed, several Castlewood locals claim they came upon a climber who resembled the legendary Roland Thompson, topping out on the unrepeated line.

Sorry if I missed it somewhere else, but what is the Alaska grade on this route?

That hasn't been confirmed yet, but rumor has it that the Access Fund is pooling money to ship this mighty feature to the north-western most part of the Brooks Range, where a Soviet team (under the watchful eye of Sarah Palin) will attempt a multi-year siege (with oxygen of course). Stay tuned to Alpinist mag for follow up coverage....

I think high ball problems like this are irresponsible and should be banned. Since a dwarf wouldn't be able to reach the top without his/her feet leaving the ground, the least you could do is add a few bolts.

There are now three bolts protecting the various cruxes and lowering anchors with chains. I'm glad this classic is finally safely protected for ALL to enjoy!

Say it ain't so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was sad to see that it appears that this problem has been chipped! (near the campus mono figure 4 move) Still very hard at V10 now, but someone should be ashamed of themselves for stooping so low!

Could someone post a topo? I've gotten off route 2 out of three times that have done this route, once having to bivy near the 12th belay, because we didn't have any headlamps.

Attention: a raptor has built a nest on the crux dyno hold. You can't see it from below, and on my last RP attempt I crushed three of its eggs. Please use caution and traverse left into the V13R/X fingercrack to avoid and respect these amazing endangered creatures in their natural habitat.

Ever since my attempt at the Little Devil, my days are filled with panicked flashes of the airy arete as I wander the office with a thousand-yard stare. At night, I toss and turn with acrophobic visions and cold sweats. When sleep finally comes...The Dream inevitably tears me from my slumber. I'm a twitching, wretched shell of a man, like a tormented character out of a Poe story.

After being inspired by a youtube video of "Ice Climbing on the Beach", I embarked on a rigorous training regiment to accomplish the first dry tool ascent of The Little Devil. In the dead cold of December 2011, I racked up my ice tools with new picks and switched the crampons to mono points and hit the trail to tackle the LD. At first, the route didn't seem as difficult as I imagined; however, becoming complacent in any technical climbing can be deadly. Nearing the end of the first crux, my left front point lost traction and I wound up dropping one of my ice tools. I tried to pull through using the French, single tool technique, but most of my energy was lost in the heat of the adrenaline. I had to sacrifice a 000 C3 to rap about 3" from where the tragedy occurred. All though I lost a few hundred dollars on gear that day, it was worth it! By the grace of God, I plan on dominating this route later this winter!

Drytooling!? On one of the most classic and historic boulder problems in the U.S.? Hmmm....

How did you guys pull through the crux? I heard it was a figure 4.

Hey Kegan,

I used the small, crimpy gastocling with the left hand, drop your right knee HARD off of the previous mono, bump your way up the 3 slopers with your right hand, then kneebar with the left off of the gastocling and match the sloper. Then, let your feet cut and campus/dyno to the jug with the raptor nest in it. There is an old piton in the crack left of the jug that you can clip. Hope this helps....